Research & Advice for Japan Travel

Generally, Spring (end of March – whence of May) and Autumn (October – November) are the weightier times to visit Japan. In Spring, you’ll be worldly-wise to enjoy the cherry blossoms, while in Autumn, the storing foliage will be just as beautiful. Storing does tend to be a bit cheaper and less rented compared to Spring, so that’s worth keeping in mind.

Obviously, if you’re travelling to Japan for other reasons, like going skiing, variegated months may work better. Alimony in mind that Summers in Japan are very hot and humid, and are weightier avoided.

What’s the weather like in X month?

2024] Revelations of the weather in Japan in January: Navigating Japan's  Winter Wonderland! | Trip.com

Japan is a large country, so weather and temperatures vary profoundly depending on where you’re planning to visit. To get a good idea of the weather during the month you’re planning to visit, use a website such as Accu Weather. On this site, you can type in the destination and plane trammels the stereotype temperatures, rainfall and sun hours per month.

Can I bring X medication to Japan with me?

Before bringing medication to Japan with you, please trammels if you’re unliable to take your type of medication with you. Some medication is vetoed in Japan, including some ADHD meds (such as Adderall and Dexedrine).

For most medication, however, you’re unliable to bring a personal supply. Usually, this is a one-month supply for prescription medicine and a two-month supply for non-prescription medicine. If you want to bring more, you have to wield for a Yunyu Kakunin-sho – you may need to show this document at customs.

For increasingly information on how to wield for a Yunyu Kakunin-sho or to trammels what medications you’re unliable to bring (and how much), trammels the pursuit websites (https://en.japantravel.com/guide/bringing-medicines-into-japan/ & https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/policy/health-medical/pharmaceuticals/01.html) AND/OR trammels with your embassy.

Planning Your Trip & Japan Itinerary

The Ultimate Itinerary for a Trip to Japan: Unforgettable 7, 10 and 14 Day  Journeys (Updated 2024) - Thrifty Nomads

How do I start planning a trip to Japan?

The weightier way to get started planning a trip to Japan is to icon out your list of wool must-do’s while you’re there. You can start by checking out our list of the best things to do in Japan and our Japan itineraries. You can reprinting our itineraries for free.

We moreover have guides for the big cities on accommodation that take into worth options for variegated types of travellers (solo, couple, family), budget, and moreover location to public transport.

Once you’re at the point where you know what cities you want to visit and how long you want to spend in each one, the rest of it pretty much takes superintendency of itself! But finger self-ruling to unchangingly ask anything in our Facebook Group you might be worried about! We’re here to help.

Should I use a travel organ or plan my own Japan trip?

We highly recommend planning your own trip and using our group and website as a resource to make it happen! It might finger a bit scary at first, but you will save so much money (or be worldly-wise to spend a bit increasingly on the things you’d REALLY love to do to make it special) by booking everything yourself. We’ve seen people save thousands of pounds by lamister travel agencies!

To start, I suggest taking a squint at our itineraries and “things to do in Japan” guide as inspiration. You can compare it to the list you’ve once made of things you’d like to do. You can use and reprinting our itineraries for self-ruling and use our walk-up guides to typesetting the right hotels for your trip without overpaying.

I need help with my itinerary

We’re unchangingly happy to take a squint at your planned itinerary if you post it in our Facebook Group. However, please have a rough plan when you post it. To get started, take a squint at our pre-planned itineraries for first-time visitors – they’re self-ruling to reprinting and include day-to-day plans, walking routes, walk-up recommendations and more.

Transportation in Japan

Shonan Monorail in Japan : r/pics

Do I need a Japan Rail Pass? Is it worth it for my trip?

The Japan Rail Pass (JR Pass) can be a unconfined money saver, as it allows you to take unlimited train rides on the JR lines in Japan. However, the prices of these passes have increased significantly in October 2023. Since the price increase, most people travelling to Japan will be largest off ownership individual train tickets or regional passes instead of the JR Pass.

The weightier way to icon out whether or not the pass is worth it for your trip is by using a JR Pass Calculator. Simply add your itinerary to this calculator and it will add up the prices of individual tickets to show you whether or not the pass could save you money.

How to typesetting Shinkansen (Bullet Train) tickets?

If the JR Pass isn’t a good idea for your trip, you could buy individual tickets for the Shinkansen instead. The easiest way to do so is to buy them from the train station in Japan on the day of your journey. If you want to pre-book tickets, however, you can use websites like Klook to buy your tickets in advance.

Can I take my luggage with me on the Shinkansen?

Yes, you can take most luggage on the Shinkansen with you. However, oversized tons may require a reservation.

Bags that are between 161 and 250 cm (when subtracting up the length, width and height) require a reservation, which you can do at the station, the JR office or online. Simply let the member of staff know you’d like to bring a large bag with you, or select the “seat with an oversized valise area” when booking online.

Bags that exceed 250 cm (when subtracting up the length, width and height), are not unliable to be brought on the Shinkansen with you. You can find increasingly information well-nigh this on the official JR website.

Which IC vellum is better? Suica, Pasmo or Icoca?

These are virtually the same, just with a variegated name. The name will differ depending on where you buy the pass – in Tokyo, you’ll find Suica and Pasmo, for example. It doesn’t matter which one you get, as you’ll be worldly-wise to use them throughout Japan (apart from Okinawa).

Accommodation/Hotels in Japan

I’m looking for hotels in x city, any recommendations?

We have comprehensive guides on the weightier areas in most major Japanese cities, withal with our favourite hotel and ryokan picks. Surpassing asking the Facebook Group, take a squint at the guides unelevated (we regularly update them!):

  • Where to stay in Tokyo
  • Where to stay in Kyoto
  • Where to stay in Osaka
  • Where to stay in Hakone
  • Best Mount Fuji hotels (with private onsen)
  • Best ryokans in Nikko
  • Best ryokans in Tokyo.

What websites are legit/safe for booking hotels in Japan?

If you’re booking your own trip (without a travel agency), you can use the pursuit sites to safely typesetting your hotels:

  • Booking.com
  • Hotels.com
  • Agoda.com
  • Expedia.com.

There are other trustworthy websites, of course, but the ones mentioned whilom are the ones I use. You can moreover consider checking out an Airbnb in Japan, which could be a good option if you’re staying somewhere for a longer period.

How far in whop should I typesetting my hotels?

It’s important to typesetting your hotels in advance. However, alimony in mind that some hotels in Japan don’t unshut up reservations until 3–6 months before the dates.

Phone and Internet Wangle in Japan

Can you rely on public WiFi in Japan?

No, public WiFi isn’t widely misogynist in Japan. But plane when it is available, you should unchangingly be wary when using self-ruling public WiFi without a proper VPN. Getting a Pocket WiFi or eSIM when travelling in Japan is a unseemly solution to having wangle to the Internet at all times – it’s a MUST, expressly when using Google Maps and Google Translate to make your way virtually Japan.

Is Pocket WiFi or an eSIM largest in Japan?

Both Pocket WiFi and eSIMs are unconfined solutions to proceeds Internet wangle in Japan. Which one is largest depends on your personal preferences. Personally, I’m a big fan of Pocket WiFi, as I can connect multiple devices to it, which makes it perfect for travelling virtually with my fiance.